Did you know that skin is the largest organ in the body and responsible for a fourth of the body’s detoxification each day? This makes our skin one of the most important elimination organs, after the kidneys and lungs. The skin actually eliminates more than one pound of waste products every day under normal circumstances.

But if pores get clogged up, the skin becomes inactive and toxins remain in the body, which can stress the liver and kidneys and make them become overworked. Dry skin brushing is one of the best techniques to open up the pores of the skin and to stimulate and detoxify the lymphatic system.

Dry skin brushing helps…

Stimulate the lymphatic system

Helps digestion

Increases cell renewal

Cleans toxins from the lymphatic system

Stimulates circulation

Tightens skin

Helps shed dead skin cells

Strengthen the immune system

Can help decrease body odor

Just by dry brushing your body everyday for a minute or two…you get improved circulation, stimulate hormones, firm skin, discharge metabolic wastes, eliminate toxins, open pores, help with muscle tone, and rejuvenate the nervous system.

You may actually feel more energized and invigorated after just one dry brushing session.

WHAT KIND OF BRUSH SHOULD YOU USE?

A dry skin brush is totally different from a regular bathing/back brush and should never be used with water or on wet skin, which will nullify the effects. The bristles should be natural, not synthetic, preferably vegetable-derived. Bristles are soft but stiff, not hard.

HOW TO USE YOUR DRY SKIN BRUSH

Brush daily or twice daily. Make sure you don’t use in the shower or bath and your skin needs to be dry, as does the brush. Use in the morning for an invigorating start to the day. This should only take a minute or two.

Use long gentle but firm strokes. Don’t brush back and forth, in a circular motion, or scrub with it.

In most instances, you’ll be brushing towards the heart.

Start at the feet and move up the legs, on both sides, brushing upwards. You just need to brush over each area once, again, no scrubbing.

Starting at your hands, move up to your arms and to the armpits, going towards your heart.

Brush down the neck and chest, again, towards your heart.

Use a counterclockwise direction when brushing the stomach.

When brushing the tops of shoulders and upper back, you can brush across or brush from the neck down to the lower back.

Brush breasts very lightly, avoiding the nipple area.

Don’t use on your face!

Remember…don’t brush too hard. You want to stimulate and invigorate the skin, not irritate it. You may notice some slight flushing, which is normal and due to increased circulation. If your skin is red and irritated looking, you’ve brushed too hard.

DON’T brush over cuts, wounds or rashes. And as always, if you have an underlying medical condition, it’s always best to check with your doctor before starting something new.

For the best feeling skin ever, dry brush, shower, and then apply an oil like jojoba.

CLEANING YOUR BRUSH

You want to clean your brush on a regular basis. Think about it, it’s full of all those dead skin cells. For best results, wash weekly with soap and water and let dry thoroughly.

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